The wearable epipen controller is a controller worn around the waist like a belt. It consists of two parts. A fanny pack which contains the Epipen, the belt which holds the Epipen around the user’s waist and the actual epipen which is connected to ground. Every input for the controller is digital but the way the buttons are interacted with are very different. The first two inputs, placed on the belt, are tin foil pieces which can be pressed with the actual epipen which is connected to ground in order to complete their inputs. The last two inputs are placed on the velcro of the fanny pack and input downwards unless the fanny pack is closed in which inputs upwards. The controller is meant to emulate the usage of an epipen. Pressing the epipen to the belt in order to make the character move either left or right was an easy way to implement the idea of pressing the epipen to the user’s thigh.
Whereas the velcro represents opening the epipen in order to get the pen out. The wearable uses a real expired epipen however, the actual needle stays in its packaging. In earlier iterations there was to be a button inside the fanny pack. However it was too difficult to fit the button and all wiring into the fanny pack in a way that felt unintrusive to the experience. There was a previous iteration that used velostat as analog sensors, however it was scrapped due to poor wiring the amount of space it required. The device ended up becoming a fire hazard. The potential upsides to the previous analog system was the need to actually press the epipen to the analog sensor allowing for a more immersive controller experience. The wearable epipen controller will come to stores near you whenever I feel like losing large sums of money.
Part List:
- Adafruit Circuit Playground Express
- Epipen
- Fanny Pack and Belt
- Tin Foil
- Conductive Thread
- Copper Tape
- Masking tape
- Alligator Clips (4)
Photos
Failed Wip Photos
Video: https://youtu.be/98IsTwYjT1Y?si=t6LF446c88at8W9U
Relevant Sources
- Uses modified controller code, original code was made by Kate Hartman
Lessons Learned
- The first iteration of this project was a failure. I’ve learned about safer wiring and how to not overcomplicate a project. I have also learned the basics of threading.